Clemson HC Brad Brownell Defends Program After Loss to Duke

Clemson made a strong case for its standing in the NCAA Tournament before Selection Sunday.

The Tigers won two ACC Tournament games, including an impressive 80-79 win over No. 19 North Carolina on Thursday night. Clemson won the game without Carter Welling, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury against Wake Forest on Wednesday.

The Tigers could not win their third game in as many days, falling 73-61 to No. 1 Duke in the ACC Tournament semifinals on Friday night after coming out flat in the first half. 

With the loss, Clemson will head into Selection Sunday with a 24-10 record and a 12-6 record in ACC play. 

During his postgame news conference, Clemson head coach Brad Brownell made a couple of references to outsiders not believing in the program. He said the Tigers are proving that they have high standards for players and win games.

"In this climate right now, this is still possible," he said, via USA Today. "The value that you get by having those kinds of kids can surprise some people in terms of success on the court.

"It doesn't surprise me because it's what we've always tried to do at Clemson. It just reminds us all even though there's a lot of things we don't like about what's going on in college athletics, you can still do things the right way and be successful."

Brownell wasn't satisfied with losing in the semifinal round. He hopes to win the ACC Championship next season.

Still, he's proud of how his team played this week.

"A lot of people did not think we were going to be very good, and those two guys right here were a big reason why we turned this thing into a really good year. I'm proud of the way we responded...

"We played great the first two days. Just didn't have as good a performance today against a really good team."

Now the Tigers will wait to see where they land in the NCAA Tournament.

Brownell will have a large platform next week to show his method of recruiting and coaching works. His players need to respond.